How to Report Rats and Mice in Richmond, VA

Short answer: in the City of Richmond, report a rodent problem that comes from someone else's property through RVA311, by dialing 3-1-1 or using RVA311.com. RVA311 routes non-emergency requests to the city team that handles them. Trash, overgrown yards, junk in alleys and open vacant buildings go to the Property Maintenance and Code Enforcement Division. Rodent and pest infestation complaints go to the Richmond City Health District's Environmental Health Division.

Rats on your own property are your responsibility to deal with. The Richmond City Health District's own guidance says to contact a licensed pest control company to handle rodents on private property. The city can step in when the source is a neighbor, a rental owner who will not act, a vacant building or a business.

This guide covers who handles what, how to file, what the city does after a report and how the process differs if you live in Henrico, Chesterfield or Hanover.

Who handles rodent complaints in Richmond

Three city offices touch rodent problems, and RVA311 is the front door to all of them.

• RVA311 is the city's customer service system for non-emergency concerns. You can dial 3-1-1 or 804-646-7000, or file online at RVA311.com. The city lists phone hours as Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Online requests can be filed anytime.
• The Property Maintenance and Code Enforcement Division, part of the Department of Planning and Development Review, enforces the Virginia Maintenance Code and city ordinances on the outside of buildings and yards. That covers trash and refuse in yards and alleys, grass and weeds 12 inches or taller, structures in poor repair and vacant buildings that are open to entry. The division says residents can report code issues through RVA311 or by calling 804-646-6398.
• The Richmond City Health District's Environmental Health Division lists "environmental complaints and investigations for rodent and pest infestation" among its duties, along with restaurant permits and inspections. Its listed number is 804-205-3912.

The Department of Public Works handles trash collection, supercans, bulk pickup and illegal dumping. Discarded tires or dumping in an alley can be reported through RVA311 as well.

What to report, and to whom

Match the problem to the office that can fix it. A clear, specific report gets acted on faster.

• A neighbor's yard full of trash, junk or overgrowth where rats are living: report a property maintenance violation through RVA311. Mention the rats, but describe the code problem, such as trash in the yard or alley, or grass over 12 inches.
• An open or abandoned vacant building with rats coming and going: report it through RVA311 or to Property Maintenance at 804-646-6398 or PropertyMaintenance@rva.gov. The city keeps a vacant building list and monitors buildings found vacant.
• A rental unit with rats or mice that the landlord has not fixed after notice: tell the landlord in writing first. If nothing happens, a code complaint can bring an inspector, and Virginia law gives tenants specific remedies. See our tenant and landlord guide.
• Rats around a restaurant, food truck or grocery: contact the Richmond City Health District's Environmental Health Division, which permits and inspects food establishments in the city.
• Illegal dumping or tires in an alley: report through RVA311 with the exact location.
• Rats in the street, park or other public property: file through RVA311 and describe the location so it can be routed.

How to file a report that gets action

Whichever route you use, give the city enough detail to find the problem and act on it.

• The exact address, or the nearest address and which side of the alley or street.
• What you see: burrows along a fence, rats running between yards at dusk, trash bags piled in the alley, a broken basement window on a vacant house.
• How long it has been going on.
• Photos, if you can take them safely from your own property or a public place.
• Your contact information, so an inspector can follow up.

Keep the service request number RVA311 gives you. If you need to follow up or the problem returns, the number lets staff find the original report.

What happens after you report

For property maintenance complaints, the city describes the process this way. An inspector visits and checks the property, including buildings, garages, sheds, yards, sidewalks and alleys. If the property is in violation, the owner gets a notice of violation that lists the problems and allows a set period of time to fix them. Some repairs may need a permit. If it is a rental property, the tenant may also receive a notice and be held responsible for some corrective actions.

If violations are not fixed in time, the responsible party may be summoned to court. The city may also do the corrective work itself and place a tax lien on the property.

Vacant buildings follow their own rules. It is not a violation for a building to be vacant, but it must be code compliant, and the city notes it in its tracking system and monitors it. A building that has been vacant for more than 12 months and meets the state definition of derelict must be registered with the city, with a $100 annual fee. The city lists a $200 civil penalty for failing to register, or $250 in a conservation, redevelopment or blighted area.

For rodent and pest infestation complaints sent to the Richmond City Health District, the Environmental Health Division investigates. Call the division if you want to know the status or what to expect.

What the city will not do

The city does not exterminate rats on private property. The health district's rodent guidance tells residents to contact a licensed pest control company for that, and lists rat-killing, rat-proofing and good sustained sanitation as the methods that work. It also notes that baiting is more effective after food sources are removed.

That means a report can fix the source, such as a trash-filled lot or a dumpster without a lid, but your own house still needs inspection, trapping and sealing. If rats are already in your crawl space or walls, start with rat control or mouse control, and keep the city report going for the source next door.

Henrico, Chesterfield and Hanover

RVA311 covers the City of Richmond only. If you live in Henrico, Chesterfield or Hanover County, use your county's own reporting system for property maintenance problems like overgrown lots, trash and unsafe vacant buildings.

Restaurants in Henrico are inspected by the Henrico Health District, and the Richmond City Health District's food safety page links to Henrico restaurant inspection reports as well as Richmond's. Chesterfield and Hanover restaurants are inspected by their own local health districts under the same statewide Virginia Food Regulations.

For your own home, the steps are the same wherever you live: find out how rodents are getting in, remove them and seal the gaps. Our area pages for Henrico and Chesterfield cover what local homes usually need.

Tips while you wait

City action takes time. In the meantime, cut off food and shelter on your side of the property line.

• Keep trash in your city-issued supercan with the lid closed, and follow the city's set-out times: no earlier than 4 p.m. the day before collection, back in by 7 a.m. the day after.
• Pick up fallen fruit, spilled bird seed and pet food left outside.
• Move woodpiles and clutter away from the house.
• Check your foundation, crawl space vents and garage door for gaps.
• If you see burrows on your side of the fence, our burrow treatment page explains the next step.

Questions people ask

Related reading

• Tenant and landlord rodent rules
• Trash and property rules that affect rodents
• Restaurant rodent violations
• Rat control in Richmond
• How to get rid of rats in Richmond